Arts on the Coast is honored to present Through the Eyes of Eric Hartley, A Photographic Collection, a black and white photography exhibition that features over 25 large format images from Eric Hartley’s personal collection.

Exactly one year to the day of the dedication of the Estes Gallery located inside Great Oaks Bank in Richmond Hill, Georgia, the exhibit will officially open on Friday, June 3rd with a reception from 5-7 p.m. This event is open and free to the general public.

“We are excited that Eric Hartley's great works, many of which have never been displayed publicly, will be shared with our community at The Estes Gallery," said Great Oaks President and CEO Mike Odom. “The privilege to peer through his lens and to realize how intricately he saw the wonders of our local area is an opportunity not to be missed, and I commend the Arts on the Coast for honoring him in this meaningful way."

“We are excited to celebrate and commemorate Eric’s work,” said Sarah Volker, President of Arts on the Coast. “The Estes Gallery at Great Oaks Bank is a very special place to go and to see the work of local artists and this show is exemplary of that mission. I think visitors are going to be so impressed. Rather than the work being restricted to only one wall, they will experience a wide range of Eric’s work throughout the entire bank.”

Hartley was a member of Arts on the Coast and is fondly remembered by fellow artists who knew him and his work. But then there are those who avidly collected Eric's photographs such as Gene and Carol Brogdon. They knew Eric first as a friend only to realize later that he was a very talented and brilliant photographer.

*Gene and Carol Brogdon share their collection of Eric Hartley photographs, permanently on display in the Brogdon Building at the entrance of Uptown Deli in Richmond Hill, GA*

The Brogdon’s are platinum supporters of Arts on the Coast and own a unique collection of 12 photographs by Hartley. They are among some of the first art patrons in Richmond Hill and for a brief time, they generously opened up space at the Brogdon Building in which Arts on the Coast hosted a gallery space, several art shows and exhibitions.

As founders of the Coastal Bryan Tree Foundation, both Gene and Carol were specifically drawn to Eric’s live oak images including Big Live Oak and Live Oak in Rain Pond on Ossabaw Island, Georgia. They are among their favorite images which were acquired over time through local silent and live auctions, while others were purchased directly from Hartley.

Another notable, very special photograph in their collection is an image that Hartley gifted them upon hearing that Gene’s mother had passed away. The image of two grave markers at a church in Nova Scotia is a lasting, somber photo entitled Dear Mother, Dear Father. It was gestures of friendship like this that Eric is remembered for so endearingly.

“I have always loved black and white photographs, and when I think of Eric’s work I always think of how beautiful they are,” said Carol. “I like the photos with a reflection, visually they are very interesting to me. When you take the color away, I think you see other things. Color is beautiful, but sometimes that is all you see. The black and whites are just so simple.”

Gene and Carol Brogdon’s collection of Eric Hartley photographs are permanently on display in the Brogdon Building, at the entrance of the Uptown Deli.

The Eric Hartley photography show is just one of many high-profile community art events hosted by Arts on the Coast this summer. Their Annual Exhibit entitled Freestyle opens on Thursday, June 23rd from 5-8 p.m. at the Photopoint Gallery located inside Elmgren’s Garden Center and is on view through September 10. The organization's next artist Quarterly Meeting is on Monday, July 11th and its next ArtNite event takes place on Friday, July 29th. To learn about all Arts on the Coast events, visit their website.